I have a long history in teaching Computer Science at secondary level. Most of my resources are related to the Edexcel syllabus, but in CS computing is computing, and it is all much the same!. I like to teach programming in a way that the kids will really 'get' using things relevant in their lives, like Beyonce, and Adidas!
I have a long history in teaching Computer Science at secondary level. Most of my resources are related to the Edexcel syllabus, but in CS computing is computing, and it is all much the same!. I like to teach programming in a way that the kids will really 'get' using things relevant in their lives, like Beyonce, and Adidas!
Part of the follow me range, designed for younger learners, non-readers, or EAL pupils. The learners are able to follow the circles on a slide show to code a lady dancing to a guitar. Skills built in this:
adding stage
adding and editing sprites
changing costumes
adding music changing beats to suit
using a forever loop
using delays
There are two certificates to be gained in this very engaging lesson(s) This resource could be used by an independent learner, or by a teacher going through the slide in turn. It's real strength though is with non specialists, helping those who are unable, or unwilling to read. The lesson is very visual, and the audio also makes it engaging.
I have created this resource to take the child through adding a sprite, a stage, colour change, music loops, speech, and movement. The theme is crazy monsters, as they are in the disco, you will see the delight when they can have a highly interactive monster change colour and play music loops. There is very little text on the screen, designed for the very young, or those who have English as a second language. They just follow the circles on each slide to add to the coding. There are 36 slides, with a certificate for the basics, then extension work for faster learners. You won't be sorry you bought this idea and activity as you see their engagement and delight.
This lesson, with learning objective and bronze, silver, gold outcomes introduces lists in Python. It uses ideas that they are familiar with, to teach the concept before the coding. Several examples are given, including populated lists, empty lists, and lists which can be appended with inputs. My learners were very engaged with the bronze silver and gold tasks, and all wanted to get researching to complete gold! None of the lesson expects prior Python knowledge other than opening it, and using print("this"). There is an extended learning task on the lesson too.
There are enough here to attach to a whole harm term of work (7 activities with solutions). The activities can either be used as a warm up starter, a recall to retain, or a plenary to check understanding. The activities are all different, and have things like spot the errors, true false, cloze sentences, amongst other things. Very engaging, and they bring real life situations to what can be quite a dry subject. I hope your learners are enthused with these activities as mine have been.
Delving into FOR loops as all exam boards seem to be keen on creating NEA which uses them extensively. These lessons include loops on string, on integer, in ranges, with 'else', and with some concatenation. All have learning objectives, but can be customised. There are ways of assessing by building from giving code to adapt, to giving the basics of a scenario to turn into variables, statements. There is a test at the end of the three lessons, and it also includes reading from text files, but that question can be deleted if you haven't yet covered that part of the syllabus. These lessons are highly engaging, and suit absolute beginners, up to confident users. They assume no knowledge of FOR loops at the start.
Fabulous presentation for a 2 or 3 week Python project. The idea is that they use IF to make a multiple choice quiz (code examples given). Learners are immediately engaged by following a flow chart, and describing what the diagram does. They then have to alter some pseudocode to come up with the first question for their quiz, using IF a,b,c,d etc. The coding ramps up with scoring, and using ELIF. More competent users are challenged to use a main menu, with sub routines so the end user can choose which quiz they would like to do. Then super human coders can learn how to read and write text files to record the leaderboard. To do this, they must look at the coding for Edexcel Fixture NEA from 2017 (please email me for the files if you don't have them (annemariebradshaw@Hotmail.com). There is also a link to a great independent learning site for Python skills. The presentation includes LO, outcomes, 2 extended learning (hwk) tasks, peer assessment with the focus given on a worksheet, and practice debugging with a sabotage task (which really gets them digging into the code in the most devious of ways :-). Fabulous differentiation got these lessons 'outstanding' on a LW and LO. Feedback from the kids was that they loved working at their own pace, and developing something personal to them. Great stuff!
There are 7 ten minute Python starters, or plenaries in this presentation. They include identifying code purpose, spotting errors, discussing efficiency of coding. The codes themselves are also useful for ideas of scripts learners can create, add to, or change. They include IF, sub routine, tuples, and other structures. The kids actually love solving the problems. All but one (open ended one) have the solutions on slide 2, to either share, or use as a mark scheme.
This resource shares part of the marking criteria, gives a scenario and an example, then sets students the task of creating a menu, and 2,3 sub routines. Can easily be differentiated for higher or lower ability. Lesson obs got 'outstanding'.
A thorough lesson to prepare year 10 or year 11 learners to tackle the Analysis stage of the NEA. The lesson takes learners through the art of abstracting from a larger problem. Breaking down a task into it's most basic form. They then have practice abstracting detail from two different scenarios. The lesson then moves to the reasons why we decompose, and the importance of making code as simple as possible, adding embellishments later when the bare bones are working. There is opportunity to practice decomposing either singularly, in pairs, or as group work. Possible solutions are given to peer assess, or can be taken out for teacher assessment. The lesson culminates in a test to decompose the first idea presented and abstracted, the Bake Off competition. Homework / extended learning is included, and encourages the learners to abstract and decompose the program controlling a household item.
This is a game of dingbats, where they have to guess the keyword from the images. I have included the answers! You could either use this as an end of term fun lesson, with teams, or use each dingbat as a starter, plenary, or questioning prompt.
These cover reading and writing to files. They have LOs, homework, and tasks set. There are two CSV files to be used in the lessons for reading and writing. Both lessons were graded outstanding with different staff members delivering them.
This is half terms work on networks. It covers features, topologies, WANs, hardware, and security. There is also an assessment which can be used. All PowerPoints have learning objectives, and engaging tasks which can be tailored to suit your classes.
More than 70 pages of revision notes. The whole Edexcel course broken down in note form. There is a contents page for easy access too. Special offer for the exam this week!
This resource explains the concept of debugging, and the types of errors that can occur. It has an accompanying worksheet and Scratch files to debug and write about. There are assessment questions at the end. This has been very engaging, and has been observed twice as an outstanding lesson.
Here are six starters, or plenaries for embedding computational thinking, searching and sorting algorithms. There is one for each lesson in a half term of work. They are printable. More suited to key stages 3 and 4. Good also for drumming in the key terms for revision as a whole lesson.
Take all the misery out of creating engaging starters with these 7 word searches on key terms. There is one for each half term of lessons. They are printable, and cover terms such as: Logic, Algorithm, Assembly, Buffering, Boolean, Bus, Decryption, Debugging, Database, Hyperlink. Suitable for key stages 3 and 4, possibly 2.
Take all the work out of creating starters, or plenaries with these 24 anagrams of keywords. Simply copy and paste onto your lesson slide when you are covering that particular topic. An example is: Mittens fate - which of course is..................IF statement!
This is a half term's work on gaining skills for the new 9-1 Edexcel computer science course. Based upon the new Crawdale NEA, it focusses mainly on reading and writing to text files. It includes practice of splitting text files up, and concatenating to create memberID. Sub routines, and practice creating menus with IF statements is also brought in, but more as a practice, than explicitly as lessons. There is a test in week 6, and a mark scheme based on 9-1. Anyone wishing to use Crawdale NEA SAM material would find this a very useful learning tool to begin with. It has been aimed at high ability year 9, or low ability year 10.